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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23533597">Jayus</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/givemerockruffs/pseuds/givemerockruffs'>givemerockruffs</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Just Roll With It (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Brotherly Love, Character Death, Drabble, Gen, Past Character Death, Resurrection, ep 26 spoilers WHEW</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:55:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,282</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23533597</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/givemerockruffs/pseuds/givemerockruffs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A short rewrite of Br'aad and Sylnan's "reunion" of sorts from episode 26.  Just because I felt it would, realistically, be a little more emotional.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Br’aad Vengolor &amp; Sylnan Vengolor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>107</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Jayus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>oh god br'aad ur brother's alive oh god no he's got airpods in he can't hear us</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The lot of them escaped the town just as the walls began to crumble. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Brendan and Ugarth were dead. The cultist hideout was destroyed. The threat of the world ultimately drowning in an unfathomable amount of sea still loomed over them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Sylnan was back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten whole days he’d been dead. Ten whole days they’d been forced to cart around his lifeless body in the farfetched hope they could resurrect him successfully. And then, there he stood: Among them again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Br’aad was still coming down from the aftershocks of the whole situation. His father, taking his dying breaths at his son’s feet, thanking him for detaching his body from the wretched tentacles that had controlled him. How he’d told Br’aad to run, save himself. How Br’aad had watched his father, who he barely knew, die by his hand — and still felt a jab of pain unlike any other, despite the hatred he’d harbored for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the midst of processing it all as the rubble from the crumbled wall settled behind them, he had not even realized his brother was back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taxi stumbled and fell to his knees a ways away from the group, panting heavily. Velrisa leaned her weight on part of the rubble to catch her breath. Mountain groaned over his own wounds and held himself up with the help of his pike, tip balanced on the stone floor. Hilltree, off to Br’aad’s right, began to cry.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Br’aad’s head was spinning. Everyone began talking but at first, all their voices sounded as though they were underwater. After a minute or so, Br’aad tuned in to hear Hilltree blubbering and Velrisa mentioning that Ugarth’s body had been left behind. Snapping somewhat back into reality but no longer following the conversation, he began looking around at his party, without purpose. </span>
  <em>
    <span>We couldn’t… </span>
  </em>
  <span>He was unable to finish his thought about not resurrecting Sylnan when his eyes landed on his brother — alive and standing before him, to the far right, with Hilltree clung to him and crying (albeit somewhat less than a few moments prior).  Ironically, Sylnan seemed to be in the best shape out of them all. Br’aad simply stared at him for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s good to have you back,” said Mountain in a gravelly voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, indeed.” Velrisa agreed. Taxi nodded vigorously from his spot on the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t ever leave me again,” cried Hilltree, brokenly, as Sylnan set him down again.  “Don’t ever die again!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The half-elf said his next words with the utmost confidence. “I won’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Br’aad and Sylnan’s eyes met.  At first, Br’aad felt ok. Or, rather, he felt nothing other than the ramming of his own heart against his ribcage; still coming down from panic and adrenaline. There was an unpleasant buzzing in his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Sylnan,” he said, voice cracking not from tears but from having yelled so much while in the town.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Br’aad,” his brother replied, a little breathlessly. He smiled widely at him, full of love. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Br’aad stood still where he was, at a loss. The last ten days had felt like an eternity, and one that took place in the Underworld. He had put on a smile for a lot of it, and braved those days in a way he hadn’t ever braved anything in his life. The sight of his brother’s lifeless body with him every day; the responsibility to save him looming over the half-elf at every waking moment. The possibility that he might not have been able to, a constant fear in the back of his mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But there his brother stood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sylnan wasted no time. He ran to Br’aad and swept him up in a tight embrace; one that felt comforting and safe, like what positive concept of home Br’aad had. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, the other didn’t know where to put his arms. He held them in midair on either side of Sylnan; helplessly, unmoving. His eyes stayed unblinking, staring over his brother’s shoulder at nothing. He let the older’s body heat seep into him. He felt his brother’s heart beat against his own chest. He was, undoubtedly, alive. Something broke in Br’aad, knowing that Sylnan was truly with him right now. He — they, the whole party — has succeeded: he was back from the dead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tears welled up in Br’aad’s eyes. He put his arms shakily around Sylnan to return the embrace, and then he began to sob freely; the stress, fear and grief (and now, ultimately, relief) of nearly 2 weeks all flowed out of him in that one moment. He let go, in that sense. His grip, however, tightened to that of a vice around Sylnan, fingers squeezing him as if the other half-elf would fade away if he didn’t hold him as strongly as he could. Sylnan hugged around Br’aad’s torso tighter in response, head laid against his brother’s shoulder. Br’aad heard himself sob loudly, ugly, into the silence of the tunnel they stood in. Nobody else said a word. He felt his knees buckle and give out, and Sylnan lowered them to the ground. In that moment, Br’aad felt safe. He felt relief stronger than he ever had before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he continued to sob, and Sylnan shook with tears against him, the half-elf felt another presence come over to them. He recognized the feeling of Hilltree’s small hands grasping at him, joining in on the hug. Then, the strong arms of a familiar dwarf graced them, struggling to get around both boys. Soon after, soft fur grazed the half-elf’s cheek and side of his head, an arm ground around his shoulders. Br’aad could only assume Velrisa had taken up another space closer to Sylnan, as he didn’t feel her hands on him. Br’aad slowly, but surely, stopped crying. Still, however, he clung to his brother just as if he were a child again.  Eventually, those who weren’t Vengolors separated from them; gave them space again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Br’aad finally said something, voice wavering. “I missed you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I missed you, too.” Slynan responded to him without missing a beat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did it,” Br’aad added. “You’re back.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We did it.” The half-elf corrected himself, eyes opening to look around at his friends. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn right we did!” Mountain piped up, triumphantly. Taxi laughed, panic calming somewhat. Velrisa nodded from behind them both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was really scared,” said Br’aad, quieter, to his brother. “I was really scared sometimes. All the time, t’be quite honest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sylnan gave him another squeeze before pulling back to look Br’aad in the eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No need to be anymore!” he told him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess you’re right,” replied Br’aad with a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took in his brother’s facial features — now animated again — much nicer than the blank, hollow expression he wore as a dead man. Br’aad much preferred his face like this. Though, his eyes still spotted dark bags beneath them, and he seemed quite bruised and scratched up on various parts of his neck, face and head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You look...</span>
  <em>
    <span>dead </span>
  </em>
  <span>tired,” Br’aad joked weakly, grinning. “Get it? Cuz…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sylnan’s face scrunched up, and then he laughed as if his brother hadn’t just told the most awful joke he possibly could have in that moment. Just like he always would. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Br’aad</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Taxi whined as Sylnan laughed. Sylnan waved to their friend as if to say it was alright. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right about that!” he said back to his brother after a moment.  Then, he helped Br’aad to his feet again and went to put some space between them. However, the younger boy grasped onto Sylnan’s arm as if to ask him to stay close. So he did stay close; in Br’aad’s space. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the first time in a long time, Br’aad felt something within him… mend. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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